What Should You Do During the Summer Before You Start High School?
Classes are almost over for the year, and the summer before your high school career begins is almost here. It seems like a magical time that’s full of opportunities – and it is!
One opportunity you don’t want to overlook, however, is the chance to get ahead when it comes to your academic ambitions.
Given that high school hasn’t even started for you (yet), college may seem pretty far away, but thinking ahead today can give you an edge tomorrow when it comes time to start applying to the college of your dreams.
Why Does It Matter What You Do Over the Summer?
Test scores, grade point averages and recommendation letters are all important, to be sure, but colleges want to know the “whole you,” before they offer you a seat. Admissions officers often look to a student’s extracurricular activities to get a better idea of their:
- Character, through activities that benefit others or the community as a whole
- Interests, through activities that reflect their potential career choices
- Adaptability, through activities that require creativity or ones that pull them outside their comfort zones
It’s definitely not too early to stretch your wings and explore a little. What you do this summer may or may not make it onto your college application. It can, however, help inform your choices for next summer – and the summers after that – and what you do then most certainly will be included in your resume.
What Can You Do with Your Summer to Make It Count for College?
You don’t want your summer to be a grind, and there’s no reason that you can’t combine relaxation and fun with something productive. Consider these ideas and see what calls you most strongly:
- Volunteer your services: Whether you work at an animal shelter, read to kids at the library or help clean up a park as part of an environmental program, you may find that you really enjoy making the world a better place – and volunteering your time like that will reflect well on you in the future.
- Get a job or an internship: Pull on those connections with family and family friends to see if you can get a part-time job or an internship in a company. It’s a smart (and productive) way to show that you have ambition and a sense of responsibility.
- Take a class or start a research project: Are you still exploring your academic interests? This is an excellent time to begin a research project that will help you develop them. An online course or a class at the local community college may challenge you and give you structure, while an independent research project requires more self-discipline but gives you more freedom. Either can help you decide on a future career.
- Learn a new skill: Have you always wanted to learn how to draw or paint? Do you want to try your hand at ceramics or silversmithing? Do you dream about coding your own computer program? Time spent learning something new is never wasted, and you may find your newest passion and unlock creative ways of thinking that will serve you well as you grow.
If you’re short on ideas for this summer, ask your parents to help guide you or look into an academic activity program that can point you in the right direction. Above all, of course, make sure that you pick something that makes you feel happy, energetic and enthusiastic about the future!
